


A less than quiet night on Vormir

by Webtrinsic



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, Father-Son Relationship, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, I use red skulls actual quotes tho since the italics, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Peter's guilty about killing Maw, Precious Peter Parker, Self-Sacrifice, Soul Stone (Marvel), Suicide, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Vormir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 19:30:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18971581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Webtrinsic/pseuds/Webtrinsic
Summary: Strange manages to locate the soul stones whereabouts, meaning Peter, Tony, and Strange must take the donut ship to Vormir where a sacrifice must be made.





	A less than quiet night on Vormir

**Author's Note:**

> why has no one talked about Peter being guilty about killing ebony maw. like seriously, villain or not peter would still feel guilty.

Peter watched as his mentor and Dr. Strange squabled, the ship headed to a planet called Vormir. The resting place of the soul stone. Dr. Strange had managed to locate it, the teen didn’t know how but knew better than to say anything more.

Mr. Stark had been clear when he said ‘The adults are talking’. It was enough for him to keep quiet, watching idly as Strange and Tony guided the ship. He had been helping before but Strange took over once he’d figured out they needed to get to Vormir.

Peter took the opportunity to wander then, eyes roaming throughout the spaceship that did little to excite him. It wasn’t as cool as anything in Star Wars or Star Trek. Peter wanted to chalk it up to this being a villain's spaceship, but again. Star Wars.  

The more he meandered, the arguing between the two faded. Scanning about, Peter’s breath caught. The patched up hole in the wall had his eyes watering. Peter, confused, took a second to think, realizing: _ He’d killed someone. _

Sure it’d been a bad guy. But he killed someone. He couldn’t breathe. The teen cried then, hand clamping over his mouth to stop the scream that was breaching his lips. Body shaking, as his free arm swung across his chest. Hugging to himself tightly as tears leaked from his eyes.

_ Nonononononononononononono. _

His brain screamed, legs giving out until his knees were crumpled beneath him. Until in a panic he was shuffling backwards until he backed himself against a wall. 

_ I’m a monster. A monster. Badbadbadbadbadbabdbadbadbad. _

He could feel his lips tremble beneath his hand, whimpers muffled but escaping nonetheless. His heart hurt as it beat against his chest. His abdomen burning, chest struggling to pull anything in. Especially since his nose was the only thing taking care of his breathing.

His vision blurry with tears started going black at the edges, until thudding footsteps approached. The boy not only crying now because of guilt, but because while barely able to breathe and his vision blurring.

Peter knew he was going to pass out. He didn’t want to pass out again. _No please. He didn’t want to fall into the dark. He didn’t want to be alone._

“Pete?” The voice barely registered, but it sounded concerned. The hand on his mouth was being forced away, allowing him to pull the air back into his lungs. Feeling a breath escape as he was maneuvered into a hug. 

His mentor was crouched in front of him, holding him close. Rubbing his back and tangling his fingers in the boy’s hair.

“You’re okay, it’s okay. I’ll get us out of here after we finish this, okay?” the boy didn’t answer. He didn’t care where he was, the only thing that mattered was he’d killed someone. Sure Tony had assisted, and maybe that helped him in the least but it really didn’t.

The boy’s chin rested on the iron shoulder, blankly staring at the patched wall. Having caught his breath, but his fear and self-loathing remained. Tony pulled them apart to check the boy over for injuries, finding none before he noticed the a thousand mile stare at the wall behind them.

Turning his head, his face ticked in concern. Taking in the patched up wall where they’d sent squidward flying to his death. The revelation his brain came across had a swell of sympathy and understanding rush over him.

“That’s on me kid,” He took the blame easily, noticing the boy didn’t seem to register his words. Leading him to take the boy’s face in his hands until Peter finally met his eyes, “Don’t blame yourself for that, that was me, okay Pete?”

More tears fell and the older Avenger quickly wiped them away, “Okay Pete?”

The teen finally nodded, a short jerky thing that wasn’t at all convincing. Pulling the kid closer for another squeeze, Tony sat and rubbed the kids back until his shaking stopped. God, the kid was an Avenger now, and couldn’t kill.

Tony didn’t want to see the day where Peter actively had too, or realized there wasn’t any other way. But he’d be there to do it if need be. Shaking those thoughts off, Tony looked over at the footsteps approaching.

Strange raised a brow at them before announcing. “It’ll take around seven hours to get there,” he walked away then. Leaving them alone as Peter leaned against his mentor, the two slowly rocking in an act of comfort.

The kids arms wrapped around the inventors middle, using the man’s shoulder as a pillow. 

“I’m sorry for asking you to do that,” Tony apologized, guilt bubbling in his chest. He’d caused the boy’s distress, he’d made the boy do something that’d likely scar him forever.

“It’s okay,” the boy returned easily, voice empty. 

“It’s not,” Tony rejected.

“But-you said we had to save the wizard,” the teen murmured into his shoulder, reminding him of around an hour ago where Peter said the same thing before passing out from a lack of oxygen.

Tony didn’t know what else to say, so he did the only thing he could do and held the kid tighter. 

“Get some sleep for the time being kid, who knows what we’re going up against next,” his armor fell away and Tony maneuvered them until his back was also against the wall and the kid was leaning into his side. Head on his shoulder, legs no longer crumpled beneath him but stretched out alongside his own.

Tony wanted to be surprised that the kid did fall asleep, but the spider had to be tired. Exhausted. Terrified. Sighing, the man wrapped an arm around the boy’s back, letting the teen curl closer before his other arm found its way to protect the boy’s head and keep him close.

“Night kid,” the man murmured, feeling his eyelids tug. Tony wasn’t one for sleep, but he couldn’t deny he had to at least try. But sleep seemed to be infectious, because before he knew it he was gone too.

\---

“We’re here,” Strange announced, rousing the two from their sleep. Peter groaned, getting to his feet and helping the inventor up who winced. His back had not been in the best position, but they had bigger things to deal with.

Tony watched as Strange and Peter landed the ship rather ungracefully, but Tony wasn’t sure he could have done it any better himself. They exited the ship, looking around the purple tinted planet. Filled with clouds, rocks, and moisture in the places that weren’t barren and dry.

“Can you track the stone, or what do we do?” Tony deadpanned, looking to the sorcerer. 

“I think the mountain with the two giant pillar thingies is a good bet,” Peter spoke up, voice still a little rough with sleep but luckily not sounding as depressed as he had the night before. 

“Good bet,” Strange conceded. 

Tony started up his thrusters, taking ahold of his proteges hand and levitating before looking at the sorcerer who held a puzzled look. 

“What? I’m not carrying you up there,” They were off not long after, Tony landing not at the top but at a stairwell in the rock formation. Strange managed to meet them up there, Peter let the two older men lead the way until a levitating figure appeared in front of them. 

Tony’s arm quickly ushered the small spider behind him, Strange speaking: “Are you the stone’s keeper?”

“Anthony Edward Stark, son of Howard. Stephen Vincent Strange, son of Eugene. Peter Benjamin Parker, son of Richard.” The figure spoke. Dr. Strange’s eyebrow quirked, and Tony kept his protective stance. Head turning in the slightest to peak at the kids face.

He didn’t look sad, a little taken back but otherwise fine. Peter hadn’t heard anyone mention his father in years, his name coming up was more surprising than the specter knowing his own name.

“How did you know that?” Strange asked.

_ “It is my curse to know all who journey here,”  _

“So where’s the stone-”

“Are you the Red Skull?” Peter called out, hiding a little more behind his mentor when the man without a real face grimaced. It was answer enough.

_ “You should know...it extracts a terrible price,” _

“We’ll pay it,” Strange returns eagerly. Unquestionably.

_ “We all think that at first. We are all wrong,”  _

“Wait a minute Wicked Witch of the West,” Tony spat at the sorcerer before turning to the red ghoul, “How did you get here and know all this?”

_ “A lifetime ago, I, too, sought the stones. I even held one in my hand. But it cast me out, banished me here. Guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess.” _

He went forward, the three heroes following as they came face to face with the two giant pillars. That held their fate in their hands, at an unimaginable price. 

_ “What you seek lies before you. As does what you fear.” _

“What do you mean Jack Skellington?” Tony shot, making sure to keep an eye on the spectre and his mentee as Peter looked about. Suit clad hands running over the pillars, before looking over the edge with interest. If the kid wasn’t sticky he would have been more concerned, but at that height he’d also be able to catch the boy. 

_ “The price. Soul holds a special place among the infinity stones. You might say it has a certain wisdom?” _

“So how do we get that wisdom?” Strange spoke, a little relieved his own stone hadn’t required anything more than being somewhat worthy.

_ “To ensure that whoever possesses it...Understands its power...The stone demands a sacrifice,” _

“What kind of sacrifice are we talking?” The avenger looked over at the wizard, wondering if the stone around his neck had been this hard to get.

_ “In order to take the stone you must lose that which you love. A soul...For a soul.” _ Peter turned around at that, taking a step back because the insignia at the bottom of the pit made much more sense.

Perplexed, Stephen tried to argue. “We don’t have someone which we love to lose,” Tony looked just as confused. Mind not wanting to entertain the thought of losing the one person with him he did love.

“What do we do then?” Tony asked, looking to the sorcerer. Peter zoned their argument out, eyes falling to the spectre watching them before their eyes met. A almost knowing look was passed between them.

He was slipping off his web shooters as the two sauntered about, arguing about god knows what. Peter was quiet as he placed the web shooters on the floor in the middle of the two pillars. 

Peter stared at the two adults, feeling displaced. Tony was...well he was Tony. There didn’t have to be anything more. He was Tony Stark. But Doctor Strange was powerful too. More useful than him at least. 

And well he did love Tony. Tony was the closest thing to a father he had. He doubted he could do anything more for them now, this would be enough though. He knew it had to be. With a weak smile, the boy leaned over the edge before he let himself fall.

The sense in his head humming, but Peter was in too deep now to listen. He didn’t want to listen to it either. The small body landed on it’s back, blood seeping from the back of his head. His life over in a flash.

As he’d fallen the cloak of levitation had pulled at the sorcerers shoulders. The two men of unimaginable intelligence turned quickly. Horrified eyes opening wide as the pillars suddenly lit up. Watching as the light shot up into sky, the inventor quickly crumpled to his knees. Scraping the suits paint, as he came face to face with the web shooters on the ground. Grabbing the items, the mechanic sobbed. 

Holding the web shooters to his chest, the man then screamed. Eyes opening up to a world alone, moisture sticking to his skin as the ground beneath him flooded. The sky was orange, the distance around him was startling. There was nowhere to go. 

“Mr. Stark?” The man was standing, swiveling on his feet the second he heard that small voice.

“Peter,” voice breathless, the man looked at the boy across from him. Not wearing any of the suits made for him, but the same one he’d first seen the kid in.

“I’m sorry, I-knew I wouldn’t be much help when you actually fought Thanos. I just thought this was the best thing. You should know it’s not your fault. And...I um...love you.”

“I love you too kid,” Tony returned, moving forward and curling the body close. Sobbing with such a ferocity his chest hurt.

“Goodbye...dad,”

“No please don’t leave me Pete,” The boy gave a pitiful smile, tears falling; He was gone before Tony could even attempt to wipe them away. In his hand lay a stone, glowing orangish yellow. 

He was back at the pillars, Stephen giving him sad eyes from where he stood. Overlooking the edge, where his...son was dead. He was flying down in seconds, the Doctor not saying anything as the man descended down.

“Is there a way to get him back?” The doctor asked softly, the spectre only shook its head. He could hear the man of Iron howling his sorrows away down below. He didn’t dare look.  And he didn’t see as the man cradled the broken body close, or as blood covered his armor. Nor did he see as the man mourned his child in a fit of tears, cradling the body so close to his own as if the way their chest were touching the arc reactor would beat for them both.

“I’m so sorry Pete, I’m so sorry,” the boy may have forgiven him, but he’d never forgive himself. Not while he held one of the most important things in his life in his arms. Head cracked and bloody, skin already pale, the color of his lips turning blue.

He was so small, he should have protected him. But how could he have protected the boy from himself? 

“I’ll win for you kid, I’ll win because of you. You already won Pete, you already won,” sobbing, the man pressed a kiss to the boy’s cheek. A final goodbye, a final thank you. It’d been an on going joke for years, but Peter held the title now of Strongest Avenger. Nothing could convince him otherwise. 


End file.
